The Hahn's Macaws or Red-shouldered Macaws (Diopsittaca nobilis nobils) are the smallest macaws available in the pet trade and quite popular due to their compact size (only slightly larger than a cockatiel) and excellent speech mimicry.

These mini macaws are commonly kept as pets, but their numbers have been dropping in the wild due to habitat destruction and capturing of these popular birds for the pet market.

They are not yet considered to be an endangered species, but they are listed in Appendix Two of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species. This status greatly limits the ability to capture or sell wild birds.

They can live up to 25 years.

Distribution / Habitat

These South American endemics are found in the Guianas, Venezuela, Brazil - North of the Amazon.

There are three recognized subspecies of the Mini-Macaw:

The two sub-species look like this nominate form, except they are slightly larger and their upper beak is horn-colored rather than blackish.

ID: This is the largest species, averaging 13.75 inches (35 cm) in length and has a horn-colored upper beak - like the Noble Macaw.

Description

Hahns range from 12 to 14 inches in length (~ 30 - 31 cm) - a little larger than a cockatiel. They average 5.8 ounces or 165 grams in weight.

It has a long narrow tail and a large head. It has bright green feathers on the body, with dark or slate blue feathers on the head just above the beak. The wings and tail have feathers that are bright green above and olive-green below. The leading edges of the wings, especially on the underside, are red. (These red feathers appear at puberty.) Their eyes are orange, and the skin around the eyes is white without feathers, just as in the larger macaws. This bare patch of facial skin is smaller in proportion to the head than the one seen in larger macaws.

Their sex is undeterminable by appearance. DNA sexing is recommended if identification of correct gender is important (for example, for breeding stock).

Diet / Feeding

They usually feed on various seeds, fruits, nuts and plant matter, as well as the occasional insect or small reptile.

Breeding / Nesting

The breeding season commences in February or March and may go on until June / July. In the wild, they breed mostly in hollows in palm tree trunks. Occasionally, they have used arboreal (above-ground) termite mounds.

A clutch consists of 4 to 6 eggs that are incubated for about 23 days. The young fledge when they are about 2 months old and are independent about one week after leaving the nesting box.

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